A Tour of Onchan
Straight down the middle.
The Manx Co-op
The site of these premises was once occupied by two terraced cottages as part of a row which faced on to Main Road.
In the cottage on the corner of Smithy Road lived and worked Isaac Moore, a tailor who had a small cart which he used for deliveries.
It had a small sign on the side which read “I. Moore Tailor” a simple enough thing but sufficiently attractive to the lads of the village to follow behind him chanting “One more tailor”.
The properties were demolished and the Manx Co-operative Society erected a rustic brick shop set back on the site. It had a flat roof and was divided into a butcher’s shop on the left occupying a third of the width and the rest was the grocery department. In front there was a wide apron which was finished in asphalt. The shop was complete in 1933 but in 1977 was considerably altered so that both shops became one and the space at the rear was used to build an extension. When the Main Road was widened the forecourt was swallowed up. |
Main Road showing the shops where Elm Tree House now stands. The Co-op site is vacant and the adjoining building that was home to Billy Clucas the barber was still whitewashed at this time. |
Elm Tree House
Here is a product of architecture in the 1970s.
It resulted from the demolition of the remainder of the terraces of cottages which had in the early 1930s been converted into shops.
The land that was not needed for road widening by the Highway Board was sold to the commissioners and they engaged the services of architects J.P.Lomas and Partners of Douglas.
The three storey building was designed as one large department store with access at Main Road level and Elm Tree Road level behind to the first floor.
Just prior to their demolition for road widening the shops in Main Road lie empty. The Co-op has its 1970s front and Billy Clucas's barber shop and his son Harry's ladies hairdressing salon show their rendered front which they received in the early 1950s. |
The property was complete in 1977 and was tenanted by T.H. Corkill’s the furniture and furnishings business of Ramsey. Eventually they gave up the tenancy and the premises were divided, the ground floor was taken by Robinsons who were occupying another building belonging to the Commissioners but required for road widening and the other half by the young chemist who had taken over Fred Gibson’s business – Richard Corkill. The two upper floors were sealed off and were occupied as offices by Bruce Anchor and more recently by the Fire and Rescue Services as an administrative headquarters |
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